Entry device for reproduction machine

ABSTRACT

An entry device is provided for a reproduction or copying machine, particularly of the type capable of copying large sheets of material. The entry device is mounted on a feed table adjacent an entry opening into the machine. The device includes a pair of supports located adjacent the ends of the entry opening with a bar supported at its ends by the supports and located above the table surface. An entry strip having an edge portion affixed to the bar has a forward edge extending near or into the opening. The strip flattens and smooths sheet material being fed into the machine and also supports material coming out of the machine above the feed table so that new sheet material can be fed into the machine as other material is emerging.

[ 51 Sept. 11, 1973 ENTRY DEVICE FOR REPRODUCTION MACHINE [76] Inventor: Wilber B. Robnolte, 920 E. Elm St.,

Lima, Ohio [22] Filed: Jan. 10, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 216,657

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 82,738, Oct. 21,

1970, Pat. No. 3,634,010.

[52] US. Cl 355/97, 271/3, 355/104, 355/108 [51] Int. Cl. G03b 27/02 [58] Field of Search 355/97, 104, 108; 271/3 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,510,124 5/1970 Bentzman 271/51 X 3,634,010 l/1972 Robnolte 355/97 Primary ExaminerSamuel S. Matthews Assistant Examiner-Kenneth C. Hutchison Attorney-Allen D. Gutchess, Jr.

[5 7] ABSTRACT An entry device is provided for a reproduction or copying machine, particularly of the type capable of copying large sheets of material. The entry device is mounted on a feed table adjacent an entry opening into the machine. The device includes a pair of supports located adjacent the ends of the entry opening with a bar supported at its ends by the supports and located above the table surface. An entry strip having an edge portion affixed to the bar has a forward edge extending near or into the opening. The strip flattens and smooths sheet material being fed into the machine and also supports material coming out of the machine above the feed table so that new sheet material can be fed into the machine as other material is emerging.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEPI 1 I973 SHEET 1 0F 2 PATENTEU SEH I I973 SHEET 2 BF 2 ENTRY DEVICE FOR REPRODUCTION MACHINE This is a continuation in-part application of my copending application, Ser. No. 82,738, filed Oct. 21, 1970, now US. Pat. No. 3,634,010.

This invention relates to a device for facilitating feeding of sheet material into a reproduction or copying machine.

Commercially available reproduction machines particularly for copying sizable sheet material such as engineering drawings are in common use today. When feeding large sheets of material, it is not uncommon for portions, and particularly corner portions, to kink or fold back on themselves when being fed into the entry opening of the machine. Further, atmospheric conditions, especially excess moisture, often cause the sheet material to tend to curl and the resulting undulations must be smoothed before the sheet material reaches the feeding rolls or belts of the machine, or otherwise sharp creases result and the copy made also is unsatisfactory.

With many, if not most, reproduction machines, the copy, the original, or both, come out of the machine at a location above the entry opening into which the material is fed. The exiting material thereby tends to interfere with material being fed into the machine, with the result that it is usually necessary to wait for all material in the machine to emerge before new material is fed thereinto.

According to the invention, an entry device is provided for a reproduction machine, which device overcomes the above disadvantages. The entry device preferably is employed with a feed table which is affixed to and extends outwardly from a lower edge of an entry opening of the machine, being part of the machine or being affixed to a smaller lip of the machine located adjacent the lower edge of the entry opening. A pair of supporting members or blocks are positioned on the feed table or the lip adjacent ends of the elongate entry opening. A stiffening member or bar with ends held by the supporting members is spaced above the surface of the feed table throughout its length. An entry strip preferably of a transparent plastic material has an edge portion affixed to the bar and extends forwardly near to or even slightly through the entry opening where it rests on the feed table or lip. Means are provided in association with the supporting blocks for limiting the extent to which the bar can move toward the entry opening and thereby also limit movement of the entry strip in the same direction. Preferably, however, the bar and the entry strip can be picked up by the operator. This enables the operator to manipulate the strip to smooth any relatively sharp folds or creases in the sheet material as the material is fed into the entry opening. Any shallow or partial folds and any curl in the sheet material are usually automatically flattened and smoothed by the entry strip without any further manipulation by .the operator.

If the machine is of the type where the material issues from the machine above the entry opening, the material is deflected by the entry strip and held above the feed table so that additional sheet material can be supplied to the machine while other material is emerging. This greatly speeds up the operation and enables considerably more material to be copied in a period of time than when it is necessary to wait for copied material to emerge completely from the machine prior to supplying more material. This is particularly important for commercial operations undertaking a substantial amount of copying work.

It is therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide an entry device for a reproduction machine which facilitates copying of large sheet material.

Another object of the invention is to provide an entry device for a reproduction machine which enables a larger number of sheets to be copied in a given period of time. 7

Still another object of the invention is to provide an entry strip for a reproduction machine which aids in flattening the sheet material entering the machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a reproduction or copying machine in combination with an entry device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary view in transverse cross section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view in perspective of a portion of an end of the device of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are viewssimilar to FIG. 3 of end portions of modified entry devices.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, a reproduction or copying machine suitable for use with the invention is indicated at 10. This machine is representative of a number of commercially available reproduction machines including, by way of example, those known under the names Whiteprint, Blueprint, or Diazo. The machine shown is of the tabletop type, but the invention is equally suited for larger floor machines. The machine 10 includes a housing 12 having suitable controls 14 and a front wall 16 with an elongate entry opening 18 extending a substantial distance along the wall, from 48 to inches, for example. The height of the opening 18 varies widely, depending on the machine. Some openings will be much higher and others not a great deal higher than the thickness of the,

material to be fed to the machine. A discharge slot 20 in the front wall is separated from the entry opening by a divider 22. A lip 24 extends outwardly from the front wall 16 immediately below the entry opening 18.

With larger reproduction machines of the type 10 employing wide sheet material, the original to be copied often has a tendency to have corners fold either before or as the sheet is being fed into the entry opening. This is particularly true for certain typesof sheet material such as engineering drawings made on tracing paper..The sheet material on which the copy is made also has a tendency to fold at the corners or crease to some extent, and certain atmospheric conditions will cause the sheets to tend to curl, rendering it difficult to feed them smoothly into the machine. This is particularly true where high moisture is present, which often comes from the machine itself-Additionally, with the machine 10, either the original sheet material, the copy, or both, issue from the machine through the exit slot 20, and, due to gravity, tend to fall downwardly in front of the entry opening 18. Consequently, it is usually necessary for the operator to delay feeding new sheet material into the machine until the last has emerged. This decreases the potential output of the machine considerably.

In accordance with the invention, an entry device 26 is provided adjacent the entry opening 18. The device 26 is shown with a feed table 28 having a length preferably at least equal to the length of the lip 24 and having a width substantially wider than the lip 24. This provides a large operating surface which facilitates lining up and feeding the original material and the copy sheet into the machine. In many instances, the machine will have a sufficiently wide lip so that the feed table 28 can be dispensed with and the other components of the entry device mounted directly on the lip. Where used, the feed table 28 can be affixed to the lip by clips 30 or other suitable fasteners.

A pair of elongate supporting blocks or members 32 and 34 are on the feed table 28 near opposite ends of the entry opening 18. Each of the elongate members, as shown in FIG. 3, has a base or bottom surface 36, an upper supporting surface 38, and an inner end 40. The base 36, in this instance, rests on the feed table 28 and positions the upper surface 38 in a horizontal plane. The member is of a sufficient height to prevent the entry device from interfering with sheet material fed along the table 28. The end 40 abuts or contacts the front wall 16 of the machine to position the supporting bars 32 and 34 and the entry device in predetermined positions relative to the entry opening 18.

An elongate, rigid stiffening member or bar 42 is long enough to extend between the supporting surfaces 38 of the members 32 and 34 and is sufficiently rigid that it will be substantially an equal distance above the feed table 28 for all portions thereof. The bar 42 is wedge shaped in transverse cross section with the small end pointing toward the opening 18. The bar has a horizontal lower surface 44 which supports the bar 42 directly on the upper surfaces 38 of the member 32 and 34, with the bar preferably affixed to these members. The bar also has aslanted upper surface 46.

A substantially planar entry member or strip 48 has a rear longitudinally extending edge portion affixed directly to the upper surface 46 of the bar 44 by staples 50 (FIG. 2) or other suitable fasteners. The strip 48 extends forwardly from the bar toward and even into the entry opening, if desired, with the forward edge portion of the strip preferably supported lightly on the surface of the feed table, depending on the angle of the surface 46 and on the width of the strip 48. The length of the strip 48 is slightly shorter than the bar 42 so as not to interfere with the supporting members 32 and 34. The width of the strip 48, however, and the thickness or weight thereof can vary widely, depending upon the specific reproduction machine 10 with which the device 26 is to be employed. Entry strips having widths from one inch to ten inches have been found to be satisfactory under particular conditions with a 7-inch wide strip being the most satisfactory for the widest number of applications. Entry strips varying in thickness from 5 mills to one-eighth inch have also been used satisfactorily, although the thicker strips tend to be of sufficient weight that they tend to resist movement of the sheet materials into the machine and are also harder to manipulate. Plastic sheets of IO-mill thickness have been found to be most satisfactory for most applications. Regardless of the thickness of the strip 48, it preferably is of plastic andof a transparent type of plastic to enable the operator to watch for folds, creases, crimps, etc.

As shown, the entry strip 48 and the stiffening bar 42 are positioned by the supporting members 32 and 34 so that the forward edge of the strip extends through the entry opening 18 and to a point close to the feeding members of the machine, the feeding members in this instance being shown as an upper drive roll 52 and a plurality of adjacent lower belts 54. The best position of the strip 43 will vary frommachine to machine and will also depend upon the weight of the original and copy material employed. The position of the strip 48 is determined by the distance between the ends 38 of the supporting members 32 and 34 and the locations of the bar 42 on the upper surfaces 38 of the members. In the embodoment of FIGS. 1-3, the bar 42 is affixed to the members 32 and 34 by adhesive or other suitable means and held in position by the ends 38 abutting the front wall 16 of the machine. This prevents the possibility of the strip being engaged by the roll 52 and the belts 54 and being pulled into the machine.

While movement of the strip 48 and the bar 42 toward the machine is limited, they can be picked up by the operator and manipulated as desired. Thus, if either the original or the copy material should have a fold or crimp, the operator can hold the sheets in register with one hand, pick up the bar 42 centrally with the other hand, and smooth or level the fold or crimp in the material with the forward edge of the strip 48.

With the strip 48 affixed to the upper surface 46 of the wedge shaped bar 42, the strip 48 provides a smooth, uninterrupted surface for exiting sheet material. The strip 48 engages the sheet material emerging from the exit opening 20 and supports the leading edge portions of the sheet material as it moves outwardly away from the opening- 20. The device 26 thereby maintains the emerging sheet material out of the way of the access for the entry opening 18 so that additional material can be fed into the machine as other material is emerging. Representative material being fed into the machine is shown in FIG. 2 wherein sheet material to be copied is represented by 56 and copy material on which the copy is to be made is represented by 58.

Rather than employing thesupporting members 32 and 34 of predetermined lengths to determine the position of the bar 42 and the strip 48, the supporting members can be adjustably affixed to the table 28. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4, a modified supporting member 60 is similar to the supporting members 32 and 34 but is of any length and has the bar 42 affixed to any suitable portion thereof. The supporting member60 in this instance is affixed to the table 28 by a clamp 62 or other suitable device, the clamp having an upper flange 64 engaging the upper surface of the member 60, a lower flange 66 engaging the under surface of the table 28 by means of a suitable thumb screw 68, and a con-- necting bar 70. The thumb screw 68 can bev loosened to enable the supporting members 60 to be positioned toward or away from the entryopening 18 and thereby accordingly move the front edge of the strip 48 relative to the components of the machine 10. When the clamp is tightened, the strip cannot move toward the entry opening.

Referring to FIG. 5, an elongate bar for the strip 48 can be adjustably connected to the supporting member, rather than being affixed to a particular, portion thereof. Accordingly, a supporting member 72 can be affixed to the table 28, if desired, or can rest thereon with a forward end 74 abutting the front wall 16 of the machine 10 for positioning purposes. The member 72 has a slot 75 therein with an venlargedlower slot or groove 76. A modified elongate bar or member 78 has a flat-head machine screw 80 countersunk therein and connected to a nut 82 located in the lower enlarged groove 76 of the supporting member 72. The screw 80 can be loosened to adjust the bar 78 and the strip 48 infinitely toward and away from the entry opening. With this adjustable arrangement, the entry device of FIG. 5 can be made to fit a number of different reproduction machines.

With the ends of the strip 48 spaced from the supporting members 32 and 34, a curl or fold at either forward corner of the sheet material fed to the machine can be straightened by manipulating the sheet material so that the curl or fold extends upwardly into the space and then moving the material toward the center of the opening 18.

With larger machines in particular, the forward edge of the strip 48 may extend into the machine beyond the table 28 or the lip 24 and may even rest on the lower feed member, such as the belts 54, near the bite of the feed members, such as the members 52 and 54. Also, the feed members may be far enough into the machine that the ends of the elongate bar 42 will contact the front wall 16 or other front portions of the machine when the forward edge of the strip 48 is properly positioned relative to the feed members. In such an instance, the bar 42 itself is effective to limit the extent to which the strip 48 can be moved into the entry opening. However, the supporting members 32 and 34 are still used to support the bar 42 above the operating surface.

Various modifications of the above-described embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, if they are within the spirit and the tenor of the accompanying claims.

I claim: 7

1. Apparatus for facilitating entry of sheet material into a reproduction machine, said machine having an operating surface adjacent an elongate entry opening of the machine, said apparatus comprising a pair of spaced supporting members to be located on said surface near opposite ends of the entry opening, each of said supporting members forming a supporting surface spaced above said operating surface, an elongate rigid member extending between said supporting surfaces and spaced above said operating surface at all points, means associated with each of said supporting members to limit the extent to which said rigid member can be moved toward the entry opening, and an entry strip affixed to said rigid member and having a forward edge generally parallel to the entry opening of the machine when said rigid member is supported on said supporting members.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized by said associated means being ends of said supporting members located at predetermined distances from said elongate rigid member and adapted to abut a front portion of the machine.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized by said associated means comprising adjustable means connecting said rigid member with said supporting members to infinitely adjust said rigid member longitudinally of said supporting members.

4. Apparatus for making copies of sheet material comprising a reproduction machine including an elongate entry opening into which sheet material is to be fed, means forming a large operating surface adjacent and below said elongate entry opening, and feed members in said machine behind said opening, a device for facilitating entry of the sheet material into said machine comprising supporting means adjacent said entry opening, and an entry strip supported by said supporting means with a lower surface slanting downwardly toward said feed members and having a forward edge positioned near said feed members.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 characterized by an elongate member supported by said supporting means and spaced above said operating surface in a predetermined position, said entry strip being affixed to said elongate member and supported by said supporting means through said elongate member.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 characterized by said entry strip being of transparent, plastic material.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized by means associated with said supporting means effective to limit the extent to which said entry strip can move toward said feed members.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized by said supporting means being supporting members adjacent opposite ends of said entry opening, said associated means being ends of said supporting members located at predeter-mined distances from said elongate member and adapted to abut a front portion of the ma chine adjacent said entry opening.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized by said strip being affixed to the upper surface of said elongate member.

10. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized by said elongate member having a slanted upper surface slanting downwardly toward said entry opening.

* i t, l

WM UNE'EED STATES OFEECE A e n e a (TERTEFKCATEL 0F CUBL'RHELQTEUN Patent No. 3,758,208 Dated September 11, 19 73 Inv nt Wilber B. Robnolte It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the Title Page, there should be a statement that the patentee disclaims the terminal part of this patent extending beyond the expiration date of patent number 3,634,010.

Column 6, line 42, correct the spelling of "predetermined" Signed and sealed this 18th day of Deoember 1973.,

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M, FLETCHER, JR. RENE D. TEGTMEYER Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents E m me 6 F T F H \J F. i

it T H N (k t E I! V;

w P T e e U 2. E T E w ml i r S .A U C T F H Ti Ni U R E C MM .l 6 l Dated September 11, 1973 Robnolte I that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected a Invent0r(s) Wilber B It is certified eshown below:

on the Title Page, there should be a statement that the patentee' disclaims the terminal par 12' of 'this' patent extending beyond the expiration date of patent number 3 634 ,010

Column 6, line 42 correct the spelling of "predetermined" I Signed and sealed this 18th day of December 1973.,

= RENE D. TEGTMEYER' Acting Commissioner of Patents (SEAL) Attest EDWARD Mo FLETCHER, JR Attesting ()f'fzlcei" e 

1. Apparatus for facilitating entry of sheet material into a reproduction machine, said machine having an operating surface adjacent an elongate entry opening of the machine, said apparatus comprising a pair of spaced supporting members to be located on said surface near opposite ends of the entry opening, each of said supporting members forming a supporting surface spaced above said operating surface, an elongate rigid member extending between said supporting surfaces and spaced above said operating surface at all points, means associated with each of said supporting members to limit the extent to which said rigid member can be moved toward the entry opening, and an entry strip affixed to said rigid member and having a forward edge generally parallel to the entry opening of the machine when said rigid member is supported on said supporting members.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized by said associated means being ends of said supporting members located at predetermined distances from said elongate rigid member and adapted to abut a front portion of the machine.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized by said associated means comprising adjustable means connecting said rigid member with said supporting members to infinitely adjust said rigid member longitudinally of said supporting members.
 4. Apparatus for making copies of sheet material comprising a reproduction machine including an elongate entry opening into which sheet material is to be fed, means forming a large operating surface adjacent and below said elongate entry opening, and feed members in said machine behind said opening, a device for facilitating entry of the sheet material into said machine comprising supporting means adjacent said entry opening, and an entry strip supported by said supporting means with a lower surface slanting downwardly toward said feed members and having a forward edge positioned near said feed members.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 characterized by an elongate member supported by said supporting means and spaced above said operating surface in a predetermined position, said entry strip being affixed to said elongate member and supported by said supporting means through said elongate member.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 4 characterized by said entry strip being of transparent, plastic material.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized by means associated with said supporting means effective to limit the extent to which said entry strip can move toward said feed members.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized by said supporting means being supporting members adjacent opposite ends of said entry opening, said associated means being ends of said supporting members located at predeter-mined distances from said elongate member and adapted to abut a front portion of the machine adjacent said entry opening.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized by said strip being affixed to the upper surface of said elongate member.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized by said elongate member having a slanted upper surface slanting downwardly toward said entry opening. 